Montale Original Aoud / Bois De Aoud: Initial Impressions

Ok, so this isn't entirely an 'initial impression' as I've worn this a few times now.

If my task was to write as few words as possible, I'd simply say it smells like this:

Original Aoud starts out deceptively light - ethereal even. A gentle and cool morning breeze carrying a hint of the dusty desert in its wake. The sun hasn't risen yet, but oh, it will, and with it the full heat and intensity of the desert will be known.

The development of Original Aoud follows a the development of a day in the desert. As mentioned, it starts quite cool and vaporous, it surrounds you but like a deep bass wave, its source is hard to pinpoint. It warms quickly, and there is just a hint of sweetness amidst the dusty coolness. This is not a fecal or barnyard oud - this is stripped of those qualities and retains only those essences which will not get in the way of calm introspection or meditation. And that is why I posted a picture of a city above, and not just a desert. It smells of desert, the color tan, of warm and dry air, but there is a spiritual quality to it that I would imagine would be found in the mosques and temples of such a city.

L'Air du Desert Marocain is an amazing fragrance, but it encapsulates not only the desert air, but the spices and sweetness emanating from the streets on the outskirts of a small Moroccan village, lined with artisans and vendors on one side and a vast and dry expanse of desert on the other. It is sweet and dry and yet rich and opulent too. Original Aoud is a relative, sure, perhaps a distant cousin, a cousin who chose the life of an ascetic, instead of the more worldly pleasures that LDDM indulges in. There is no hint of earthly desire or hedonism in Original Aoud - it is the essence of the desert - and the inevitable introspection that comes from being surrounded by such a dry and almost featureless environment - in a bottle. This isn't something to wear to impress the ladies (or men) or to draw unwarranted compliments from random passerbys. This is something to be worn for one's own good and well being.. to be worn when a calm sanctuary is needed, when focus is of the utmost importance, or when one simply wants to clear the mind be it for meditation or relaxation.

Sillage is average and longevity too (compared to other Montales). Regardless, it's worth sampling if you are interested in very dry scents. It is, of all the scents I've smelled, without question the one I'd recommend in response to the question "What would a holy man/mystic/shaman wear?"

Last edited by SculptureOfSoul; 5th September 2008 at 06:21 AM.
Reason: edited title to include alternate name "Bois de Aoud"

Re: Montale Original Aoud / Bois De Aoud: Initial Impressions

...of all the frgrances tht i have tried from the Oudh line, there was this link between them..Aoud flowers, Aoud Lime, Black Aoud etc...except for Oudh Ambre, which was quite woody and ambery inits appraoch....so, is this scent radically different from the BA "type" from Montale and is similar to Oudh Ambre types..? is there no medicinal, sweet Oudh blast in opening which is typical in Montale Oudhs?

Re: Montale Original Aoud / Bois De Aoud: Initial Impressions

I haven't smelled BA yet . Anyone want to send me a sample?

From the Aouds I have smelled (golden, sliver, red, shiny, crystal) it is the same or a very similar aoud note as used in those. I don't find the opening of Original Aoud to be particularly medicinal as per my definition of medicinal (something strong and camphorous like eucalyptus, Vick's Vapo Rub, sage oil, etc) - but then I've been working with essential oils for quite some time so my threshold of what qualifies as medicinal is probably a bit off from the norm. The opening is definitely medicinal in comparison to your average perfume, but I wouldn't say it's at all unpleasant and it's far more toned down than the opening of the other Montale aouds I've tried.

Y'know how in most of the aoud fragrances the aoud seems to slip into the background here within an hour or so? That happens here too, it starts out cool, warms up and gets as loud as it will get (which still isn't that loud) within an hour, and then starts to cool down and become more of a skin scent again. I can see why this blends so well with so many things!

Thanks for the props, guys! It makes me smile and glad that I took the time to write this up. (I'll check out your blog Jenson - the only reason I might withhold from posting it there is because I am contemplating opening a blog of my own soon.)

Re: Montale Original Aoud / Bois De Aoud: Initial Impressions

I also find this scent extremely dry - in a way it`s one of the driest scents I`ve ever experienced. To me the top notes are very medicinal/anticeptic, but it only lasts for a seconds. Then it settles down for a smooth, sort of "musky" kind of oud wood with hints of crude tar-like nuances. Very linear stuff. Basically, I think it smells very oldish, decayed even, just like some old shed that is waiting to collapse to its death.

Not too bad, but definitely not one of my Montale Aoud favourites. From which I have smelled, I`ve only liked Aoud Ambre even less.

I think Bois de Aoud / OA has something very similar to Garage by CdG. Lonestar Memories by Tauer also comes to my mind.

Re: Montale Original Aoud / Bois De Aoud: Initial Impressions

Thanks for the feedback Pigeon. I do agree that there is a bit of a tar like note in there, a faint hint of asphalt perhaps. I should have added that the scent actually gets drier and dustier as time goes on, although I always perceive it as being extremely dry. In the opening stages and heart notes even, there is a bit of that resinous tar like note present though - so it's perhaps a bit less dusty/airy as I originally made it sound (although the overall effect is still that of dusty/dry air.)

Ironically this is my favorite of the Montales so far, and the only that I'd consider bottle worthy from what I've sampled (though I definitely need to resample them as most of them were sampled in the aftermath of a tough time and I don't think I was giving them a fair and objective sniff.) It's quite orthogonal to 'traditional perfumery' - but I think would be liked by those who enjoy rawer scents - fans of MPG and Villoresi perhaps.